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Trouble on Deck

Ministers refuse to admit that the American jets ordered for Britain’s new aircraft carriers are overbudget, over‑complicated and unproven in combat

The F-35 joint strike fighter was supposed to be the answer to all the West’s air defence needs for the early decades of the 21st century. It is turning into an object lesson in the pitfalls of procurement. If the Ministry of Defence continues on its present course of too much credulity and too little scrutiny, it is in danger of finding that the planes intended to equip Britain’s two new aircraft carriers are vulnerable to hackers, unable to fly in full stealth mode and even in some cases too heavy to fly at all.

A Times investigation starting today reveals that the full cost of the 14 F-35s delivered to Britain so far is likely to be closer to £150 million per plane than…